Yep, it is a book, an ebook as well as a paperback. Kris Calvert’s story is actually well-written, and I especially enjoyed the back and forth point of view between FBI Agent, Mac Callahan, and his new found love, Samantha Peterson. Each of them sees something special in the other, right from the outset, so their relationship moves swiftly. There are a few plot twists, mostly in the romantic realm, but the story kept me swiping the pages. There’s a great supporting character, Sam’s aunt Mimi, and a few cardboard cut-outs, such as the staff at Callahan’s inherited mansion. Still, it is a good read for the money (free for Kindle readers.)

Some other reviewers have stated that it isn’t realistic. Ho-hum. If I want reality, there are better ways to get it than via a novel. I rather like my fiction to be, well, fictional. As long as the author doesn’t push things too far, of course. Ms. Calvert does challenge the reader’s patience from time to time, but overall this novel is a pleasant way to spend a few evenings, for readers of romance, mystery, or suspense. The southern setting is just like sweet tea— both tasty and refreshing.

I have a friend who is a personal trainer. As I’ve had some back issues and shoulder issues, she has suggested that I dedicate some time to getting more fit. Her specialty is to come to a client’s home and look around for spaces to use for fitness activities. I’ve got exercises to do on my stairs, exercises to do in the floor, and a few that require resistance. I already had a couple of pairs of dumbbells, so I’m using those, and she had me make one purchase: exercise bands.

I got a set from Amazon (pictured above) which are long enough to tie to make a circle for leg exercises, and I can do arm and back stretches with them, too. As I used to pay quite a bit to go to a gym, I’ve been really happy to have a program that works well and costs very little, beyond a few visits from my trainer.

She also wants me to do some cardio, so let me go ride my bike a while! Maybe I’ll think of a new plot twist for my current manuscript while I’m out there.

I have to explain that I am still reading this book, but I thought I’d gotten my money’s worth after I read the introduction. No kiddin’. Author Dale Carson, a former cop and FBI agent, explains that the concept of innocent until proven guilty is no longer valid. With the advent of computerized “background checks” a single arrest, even when the party is not prosecuted or convicted, can have permanent and costly consequences. To prove this, he relates the tale of a person who was arrested because of an identity theft situation, who was never able to get a job in the financial industry.

Also, due to the ever growing size of the United States Criminal Justice empire, your (and my) chances of being arrested for something have never been higher. More cops, who are all evaluated by how many “bad guys” they arrest, must feed the criminal justice machine, which in turn provides employment for lawyers, judges, and even the cooks at the jail. With every chapter, the author piles on the reasons to fear being arrested. Being convicted is worse, of course, but the damage is done when the ticket is written, or the paperwork forwarded to one of the clerks who is feeding off the system.

The book purports to help readers become “invisible” to cops. I hope it helps with that, but the author’s comments on how this morass came to be and why it isn’t going away are a tad depressing.

Despite all that, this book is something that should be required reading before getting a driver’s license, with a refresher read prior to college, marriage, the birth of a child, and other rites of passage. I can’t say it strongly enough—buy the book, read the book, pass the book on to anyone brave enough to leave the house.

A friend and I were talking about how much we love the HGTV show Fixer Upper, and she was saying she had just read the book about the hosts, Chip and Joanna Gaines. When I heard that, I’m like, “Hey, can I read it?” So, the next time I saw her, she had the book for me.

Now, I have to confess that I am not a stellar housekeeper, nor am I a good decorator. However, I am genuinely inspired by the show, and I did find the book fascinating. It is told from two first person perspectives, those of Joanna and Chip. A total difference in fonts makes this quite easy to follow. Joanna begins with a discussion how she was approached (in 2012) by a television production company, wondering if the offer to film the two of them working on homes was a scam. Chip was sure it was some sort of scam, but Joanna wasn’t convinced, so she talked with them a bit more. The rest, as the cliché goes, is history, of course. We know it was real, because Fixer Upper is in season four as I write this. So, Joanna goes all the way back to when she began dating Chip.

There’s a good bit of humor, as well as some insights into how difficult their lives often were, before the cash that comes with a hit television show enabled the duo to become the owners of the very valuable portfolio of companies that all bear the name of Joanna’s favorite flower, the magnolia. While the book is about the hosts, it does indeed concentrate on their businesses.

Rather than spoil it for potential readers, I will just say that the book is a more in-depth history of a somewhat familiar story. Chip had already begun buying up and fixing up small homes before they married. While he was a student a Baylor University, Chip realized that college students needed a place to live near campus. Their first home together was one of the rentals— the first available at the end of the semester. That home was the first one Joanna decorated, on the cheap as they were pretty much broke. Soon, they realized that together they could make some money flipping houses. Over time, their reputation was so good that locals began asking them to help with remodeling projects, large and small.

Because she enjoyed home decor so much, early on, Joanna found a small shop that they were finally able to purchase, and it was there that they first used the term “Magnolia” for a business. As the family grew, their businesses both expanded and contracted, but there is a common thread of hard work, good fortune, and a belief that things would work out for the best. Much has been made of the the pair’s faith in God. For me, this seemed to be secondary to their work ethic, but it is a constant aspect of the book, which is published by W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, which publishes religious works.

For fans of the television show, this is a very good read. Yes, I’d like even more about how Jo learned design and how Chip learned to be an expert contractor, but the book is general in nature. There is a promise in the end that there will be a Joanna Gaines design book forthcoming, so I shall have to wait.

This novel by Sandy Williams gets good to great reviews on Goodreads. Quite honestly, it took me a while to get through it, but I finally finished. The plot begins with an interesting premise: Ash (also known as Ashdyn or Ramie, as her official designation is Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn) is some sort of super soldier. She’s in a combo psych ward/detention situation, because she killed her team, i.e. her fellow soldiers. Not good.

On hand to debrief (or cure) her is Rhys “Rest in Peace” Rykus, who is apparently a really sexy guy. He also trained her and is considered to be her “fail-safe”which is some sort of control figure. As the story unfolds, some of Ash’s history is revealed by either flashbacks or comments from characters, either to Ash or about her. The romance is stronger than the other subgenres (military fiction, fantasy, science fiction) and I would classify it as that, but others might disagree.

That Ash is the victim of some conspiracy seems to be the only logical outcome of the initial conflict; otherwise she is guilty as heck and ought to be executed. The reader is along for the twisting, turning ride as Ash tries to remember what happened, and others try to figure out if she is guilty or innocent. For me, the characters did not engage my empathy, thus suspense suffers. When I read about Honor Harrington (David Weber’s famous heroine) I know she will come out ahead, but I care about her. When I was playing Tomb Raider, and yes, that dates me a bit, I was sure Lara Croft would be on top at the end of the game, and I cared a lot less. Ash is like Lara; she is bad-A and will overcome.

Shades of Treason (An Anomaly Novel) (Volume 1) is available as a Kindle book and in paperback.